Nature designed Florida to be one large marine ecosystem. Florida is one big sand peninsula located below the 40th longitudinal North American line. Three bodies of salt water (Gulf of Mexico, Strait of Florida and Atlantic Ocean) surround three out of four directions of Florida. Man-made canals, natural lakes, rivers and estuaries are confined within the State of Florida’s physical boundaries. All of these form an interlocking system of waterways that impact the interconnected marine environment (marine ecosystem). All of Florida’s waterways are connected back to the surrounding bodies of water while passing through Florida’s sub-tropical and temperate zones and impact the delicate marine ecosystem balance. Man and nature are causing a negative impact to this region like never before. Hurricanes, lack of green initiatives, garbage, pollution and the stripping of natural resources for population growth are decimating Florida’s natural ecosystems.
The State of Florida’s marine ecosystems are in a constant pattern of change. Change is necessary in nature. Change is nature’s way of adaptation. While there are “occasional good” changes, the progressive major changes have a devastating negative impact to the Florida marine environment. There are several factors correlated directly to this negative change. Most of these factors are due to man. One cause is natural. It is the hurricane. Hurricane Season is from June to November (NOAA) each and every year. On average 11 named storms occur in the Atlantic Basin each year with 6 reaching hurricane strength and 50% of these becoming a major hurricane of category 3 to 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale (NOAA). Whether small or large, hurricanes cause damage and modifica...
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Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Waste Management Division, 9 July 2009. Web. 2 Feb. 2010. .
National Hurricane Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, 1 Dec. 2009. Web. 19 Feb. 2010. .
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Stephens, Henry A. "Recycling limits may get broader in Indian River County." TCPalm.com. TC Palm, 6 Feb. 2008. Web. 3 Feb. 2010. .
Web log post. Sea World Orlando Goes Sustainable. Orlando Escapes, 1 Nov. 2008. Web. 19 Feb. 2010. .
off the formation of a hurricane there need to be several thunderstorms over warm ocean water to
The range-wide population of manatees is assumed to be at least 13,000, with more than 6,500 in the southeastern United States and Puerto Rico. There was “aerial surveys” that began in 1991. Info from the survey stated it was an estimation of 1,267 manatees in Florida. Today there are more than 6,300 in Florida, indicating a major increase over the last 25 years. The Conservation Commission (FWC)” recently led two natural status reviews of the Florida manatee that involved complete collection and mixture of population and range data; along with a wide spread display of population projections (FWC 2002, 2003; Haubold et al. 2006). Enduring studies of the Florida manatee show that there are four separate regional subpopulations, as
...t Florida Atlantic Continental Platform: Barrier Coral Reefs, Nearshore Bedrock, and Morphosedimentary Features." Journal of Coastal Research 24.4 (2008): 823-849. Academic Search Premier. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.
An ecosystem is a very fragile system, much like a house of cards or row of dominoes. With one small change, the whole things can break down and collapse. This analogy directly describes many ecosystems such as the Everglades in Florida, which is facing changes that are upsetting the ecosystem's delicate balance. Located in Florida, the Everglades is a massive wetland consisting of many marshes and mangrove forests. It is also the home to many animal species, many of which are very rare. The Everglades was like this for many years until its natural order was disrupted by in the early 1900s by incoming settlers. These settlers saw the Everglades as useless marshes, so they ended up draining these marshes to allow the land to be used
The Everglades National Park is one of Florida’s most well known features. Well known by some as a sanctuary, yet, for others, it is known for being polluted and drained. It’s water is damaged, it’s ecosystem is not in good shape, and there are many different plans to fix it. America needs to turn The Everglades back to the sanctuary so many people know it for.
Rising sea levels are becoming a prominent issue along with global warming and climate change for many regions near costal areas, Miami, Florida being one of the most detrimental areas. With a current population of 413,892 living just 6 feet above sea level, Miami is positioned as one of the first areas to feel some of the disastrous effects of climate change (Johnson). Within the next 100 years rising sea levels have the ability to damage South Florida’s fragile barrier island, the population that lives near costal areas, and its appealing subtropical beaches (Madigan A12). Coastal areas, which provide the largest area for disaster, however are not the only area that will experience the effects of climate change. Looking further inland, the Everglades, which provide Miami with source of fresh water could be contaminated through the high salt levels of the ocean, rendering them unusable (Madigan A12). The everglades of Miami depend upon precipitation as source of fresh water, however with the rise in sea levels the overwhelming amount of saltwater is detrimental to their health (Linhoss, Chambers, Wozniak, and Ankersen). The rise of sea levels will result in the plunge of the Florida Keys along with the Key West (Madigan A12). The high risk of flooding that the Florida keys are faced with propose a decline in environment for various species that are endangered (Linhoss, Chambers, Wozniak, and Ankersen). By the end of this century, effects from melting snow and ice reserves and the thermal expansion of the ocean water mass are significant factors attributed to the rise in sea levels affecting Miami (Sea level rise). Thermal expansion that was once the main factor in sea level rise has decelerated causing the acce...
First of all, the attempt to clean up the Everglades National Park has taken alot of time, effort, and money. According to Can We Fix the Water Supply, in 2004 a Supreme Court started a project to restore the natural flow of water back to the Everglades, in the next thirty years. That’s a long time. Water Quality Nearly Halts Everglades Restoration states,
The Research done in this Article was performed by Farallon Institute for Advanced Ecosystem Research and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Data Trends are provided by the California Current Ecosystem Long-Term Ecological Research Program. The area of study for this experiment takes place in the southern sector of the CCE (California Current Ecosystem). Specifically, data was selected from Dana Point and off the coast of Point Conception to represent southern and northern sectors of the study.
Florida became a state in 1845 and almost immediately people began proposing to drain the Everglades. In 1848, a government report said that draining the Everglades would be easy, and there would be no bad effect. Canals and dams were dug to control seasonal flooding. Farmers grew vegetables in the rich soil of the drained land, Ranchers had their cattle graze on the dry land, and new railways lines were constructed to connect communities throughout south Florida; but the ecosystem of the Everglades was not suited for either farming or ranching. The natural cycle of dry and wet seasons brought a devastating series of droughts and floods. These had always been a p...
The calm, warm water is a trademark of shallow lagoons, which serve as nurseries for fragile juvenile fish and precious other organisms which otherwise would perish in the turbulent waters of the reef or the oceanic waves. When the high tropical air and water temperatures collide with the cooler water and air temperatures during Hurricane season the reef faces destruction from high waves, hurricane winds, and the stirred up sediments from the ocean floor, causing branches of the corals to break off and the debris from the stirred up settles on top of the reef smothering the algae to suffocate and die off because the dust blocks the sunlight as well. The recent category 5 hurricane, most likely had a terrible impact on the reef, the rapidly organized evaluation of the damage found that extensive movement of the sand and major sediment accumulations covering the reef, causing structural damage to corals and the reef itself, in addition to cloudy water preventing the sunlight to penetrate the water. All these results of the latest hurricane have an impact on the reef and it is unknown how long it will take for the reef to recover (Anonymous, 2017) . The Florida Reef tract, stretching circa 580 km, is the only living barrier reef in the USA and extremely important of the state’s ocean economy. The region depends on the tourism
The concept behind this information is to guide the reader’s considerations towards the fact that warmer weather condition have something to do with the strength these hurricanes are gaining. If these facts do not get ones attention, let this project focus on the damages these hurricanes cause to the United States
How does the change in climate affect the frequency and the path of those powerful hurricanes and tropical storms in the tropical Pacific and Atlantic Oceans? Global warming has a profound vast impact on the Earth. Besides landmasses, ocean is warmed unevenly. Additionally, unexpected changes in ocean current will aggregate the uneven distribution of water temperatures along the globe. Warmer or cooler than normal sea surface temperatures occur along the Tropical Pacific will provide good indications of the future climatic change. These weather scenarios are also known as El Nino, and La Nina. They are indicated by the Southern Oscillation Index, which shows the prevailing winds in the tropical Pacific Ocean. How will El Nino and La Nina affe...
Hurricanes unfortunately occur between June 1st and November 30th with no human control over them. Hurricanes tend to form in warm, humid, and moist water and travel from east to west. To track such storms, the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale which determines the strength of a hurricanes’ winds and rain is used. It tends to be the most accurate. The National Hurricane Center is the main forecast center for storms that originate over the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and the northeastern Pacific Ocean. In addition, The World Meteorological Organization’s Western Hemisphere Hurricane Committee selects hurricane names, using alternating men’s and women’s names in English, Spanish, and French in alphabetical order. The National Hurricane Center determines a hurricane watch if the storm could hit within 36 hours or less and advises everyone to stay indoors and off the streets as much possible. All in all, hurricanes are not something to be proud off or be upset at because of the damages it causes, but just realize that it’s Mother Nature’s creation and nobody can control or stop a hurricane once it has created a path.
Population growth and development has altered the coral reef environment. Destructive fishing practices, land-based sources of pollution such as agricultural runoff, and excessive coastal development all have detrimental effects on delicate reefs. Global warming due to increased concentrations of greenhouse gases may result in sea-level rise and higher ocean temperatures, both of which have the potential to be destructive to coral reefs. In Florida, living animals whose skeletons make up the foundation of the multi-colored underwater reefs, corals are an important part of the aquatic ecosystem. Florida's coast has the only living coral reefs in the continental United States. These ancient, slow-growing structures are now imperiled by their own enormous popularity. Boat anchors and groundings, heavy use by divers and snorkelers, and pollution all cause damage to the reefs. (Grigs, 1997).
Fork to Landfill.” NRDC Issue Paper. Natural Resources Defense Council, August 2012. Web. 17 Mar. 2014